Comenius Leadership Fellow for Sanne Akkerman

The Netherlands Initiative for Education Research (NRO) has awarded Professor of Educational Sciences Sanne Akkerman a Comenius Leadership Fellow grant of 500,000 euros. Akkerman receives the grant for her project Students in UniCity: engagement in what happens for what matters.

With this Comenius Leadership grant, Akkerman wants to bring the social engagement of our university to an open, broader, and enduring engagement with urban life. To achieve this, she and UU alumni set up a transdisciplinary city programme called UniCity, consisting of joint and multi-year science projects with diverse people and communities. The programme creates a place where university and city come together and where students learn to find their academic uniqueness and joint contribution in the changing reality of everyday life. Six projects are set up across the city. Working educational principles are bundled into a model for educational and public engagement that is widely shared within the UU and with other higher education institutions.

A great opportunity to research what exactly we mean and aim for in education when we refer to social engagement.

Community Engaged Learning

Rector Magnificus Henk Kummeling reacts to the award of the grant: "I would like to congratulate Sanne with this wonderful grant. As Utrecht University we are constantly looking for ways to improve our education and one of the things we focus on is Community Engaged Learning. This is experience-based education in which students, lecturers and external partners work together on social issues. It integrates social engagement with academic study and reflection. This enriches the learning experience and contributes to community needs. Sanne's plans are a perfect fit. It is very nice that the potential of this new education has been recognised and that it is also financially supported by the Comenius programme. I expect that our students will enjoy it very much.”

Akkerman wrote the application together with Jeroen Vermeulen, who is also co-coordinator of the project and, like Akkerman, a member of the Community Engaged Learning Programme Council, chaired by James Kennedy. She is delighted with the award: "A great opportunity to research what exactly we mean and aim for in education when we refer to social engagement.”

Highly innovative

The assessment committee considers the approach of the intended project highly innovative for Dutch higher education, due to the open character of the project design. The potential benefits for students are considered to be very high, certainly if the chosen approach can eventually become part of regular education.

Strategic plan

The project is in line with Utrecht University's strategic programme, which aims to strengthen the connection between the city and the university and its mission to contribute to a better world. To realise this mission, the UU places a strong emphasis on social engagement in education, which is also stimulated by the Community Engaged Learning programme.

Comenius

On behalf of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the Netherlands Initiative for Education Research (NRO) awards Comenius grants every year to lecturers who can put their vision of education into practice. There are three different grants within the programme: the Teaching Fellow, Senior Fellow and Leadership Fellow grant. These grants for educational innovation are inspired by the well-known VENI, VIDI, VICI grants for research.

Innovating your education?

Are you a teacher at Utrecht University and are you interested in submitting a proposal? This autumn lecturers can apply for a Comenius grant or other educational innovation grants. Please contact the Centre for Academic Teaching at cat@uu.nl. On Monday 21 June, 09:00 - 10:00 hrs, an information session on various educational innovation grants will be organised. There is also a workshop on educational innovation grants during the Strengthen Your Education Week planned: Tuesday 29 June, 10:00 - 11:00. Here, the grants will be briefly explained and then teachers will be helped with their applications.  After the summer, the first letters of intent for the 2021 grants should be submitted. The Centre has a large network of experts and is happy to help you optimise your project proposal.